Company Secretarial Software: A Buyer's Guide

Published: 28 October 2026 3:40 pm Author: Oliver Stanley

Company secretarial work is invisible until it goes wrong. A confirmation statement slips past its deadline. A cap table nobody quite trusts turns up in due diligence. A director’s identity verification wasn’t done in time and a filing is rejected.

Since the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA) came in, there’s more of this work and less room for error. Identity verification, fuller shareholder information and closer scrutiny from Companies House have all added to a workload that was already easy to underestimate.

That’s why the tools you use matter more than they used to. Whether you’re running CoSec on spreadsheets and WebFiling, or you’re already on a platform and wondering whether it’s still the right one, this guide covers what company secretarial software does, the signs you’ve outgrown your current setup, and the questions worth asking before you buy or renew.

What Is Company Secretarial Software?

Company secretarial software is a platform for managing a company’s statutory obligations in one place. That typically means keeping statutory registers, filing with Companies House, recording share capital changes, and documenting board and shareholder decisions.

It’s sometimes called CoSec software or entity management software. The terms overlap, though “entity management” is often used for larger groups with many companies across several jurisdictions.

It’s worth being clear on what it isn’t. Practice management software runs your firm. Accounting software runs the numbers. Document storage holds files. Company secretarial software is the system of record for the company itself: who its directors and shareholders are, what it has filed, and what its board has decided.

What Does Company Secretarial Software Do?

The best way to judge it is by the jobs it takes off your plate, rather than a list of features. A good platform should handle:

Statutory registers. Registers of members, directors, PSCs and charges, kept up to date as changes happen, not reconstructed afterwards.

Companies House filing. Preparing and submitting filings directly from the platform, so the register and the public record match without anyone re-keying the same information twice.

Share capital changes. Allotments, transfers, subdivisions, consolidations and buybacks, with the supporting resolutions and documents generated as part of the process.

Board and shareholder decisions. Minutes and written resolutions recorded against the right company, with a clear history.

Cap tables and options. An accurate, current view of who owns what, ready for a funding round, sale or investor question.

Confirmation statements and deadlines. Visibility of what’s due and when, across every company you manage.

Group structures. A clear picture of how entities connect, with each company’s records managed in the same place.

Secure document storage. Share certificates, resolutions and statutory documents held securely alongside the records they relate to.

Who Uses Company Secretarial Software?

Law firms use it to manage corporate clients’ entities, run transactions and keep records accurately for due diligence. See our company secretarial software for lawyers.

Accountancy practices use it to handle confirmation statements, share changes and statutory filings alongside the accounts work they already do. See our company secretarial software for accountants.

Corporate service providers use it to manage large portfolios of client entities consistently. See Kudocs for corporate service providers.

Companies and in-house teams use it to keep their own records current without relying on an adviser for every change. See Kudocs for companies.

Why It Matters More Since ECCTA

ECCTA has changed the day-to-day reality of company secretarial work. Directors and PSCs now have to verify their identity with Companies House, and since 18 November 2025 this has been a legal requirement. Companies House has new powers to query and reject information. Fuller shareholder information is on its way, and the rules on who can file on a company’s behalf are changing too.

We’ve covered these changes in detail:

The practical result: CoSec has become more procedural, more deadline-driven and less forgiving. Software that keeps up with these changes, and builds them into everyday workflows, takes a lot of that pressure off.

Signs You’ve Outgrown Your Current Setup

It doesn’t matter whether your current setup is a set of spreadsheets or a platform you’ve used for years. These are the signs it’s no longer working:

You’re re-keying the same information. Data goes into your records, then again into Companies House, then again into a client report.
Your registers and the public record don’t always match. And you usually find out at the confirmation statement.
Adding a colleague means paying for another seat. So access gets rationed, and the work ends up with fewer people than it should.
Your renewal quote went up, and you’re not sure what for. The price rose, but the product feels much the same.
You’re paying for add-ons you assumed were included. Or being regularly upsold features you didn’t ask for.
Nobody wants to do the confirmation statements. Because the process is slow, clunky or relies on one person who knows how it works.
Regulatory changes feel like your problem to solve. Rather than something your software has already handled.

If two or three of these sound familiar, it’s worth looking at what else is out there.

How to Choose Company Secretarial Software: 10 Questions to Ask

These questions are worth asking any provider, including us. The answers will tell you a lot about how the software will work for you day to day, and what it will cost you over time.

1. Is it a Companies House authorised filing software provider?

This should be non-negotiable. Authorised software can submit filings directly to Companies House, rather than just preparing forms for someone to submit separately.

2. Does it file in real time, as part of the task?

There’s a big difference between software that records a change and then asks you to file it, and software that updates Companies House as part of the action itself. The second removes a whole category of mismatch and missed filings.

3. How is it priced, and what happens as you grow?

Per-user pricing can look reasonable at the start and become expensive as your team grows. It also creates a hidden cost: people who should have access don’t get it. Ask how pricing scales with users, entities and filings.

4. What’s included, and what’s an add-on?

Get a clear list. Cap tables, group structures, document storage and client access are sometimes sold separately. Know what you’re paying for before you sign.

5. How do you get your existing data in?

Migration is often the biggest worry when switching. Ask what’s pulled automatically from Companies House, how historic records (which Companies House doesn’t hold) get imported, and what help is available.

6. Who can access it, and on what terms?

Can colleagues, clients and directors see what they need without a full licence? Can you control what each person sees?

7. What security certifications does it hold?

You’re trusting the platform with sensitive personal and corporate data. Look for recognised standards such as ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials.

8. How quickly does it keep up with regulatory change?

ECCTA has shown how fast the rules can move. Ask how the provider handled identity verification and the other recent changes, and how quickly updates reached users.

9. What does support look like?

When something needs sorting before a deadline, who picks up? Is support handled by people who understand company secretarial work?

10. What’s the renewal and cancellation process?

Check the notice period, the cancellation deadline and how price changes are handled at renewal. Some contracts require notice well before the renewal date, which is easy to miss.

Spreadsheets, Legacy Platforms and Modern Alternatives

Most firms fall into one of three camps. Here’s how they typically compare:

	Manual (spreadsheets and WebFiling)	Legacy CoSec platform	Modern CoSec platform
Cost	Low upfront, high in staff time	Often per user, with add-ons	Package-based, scales with you
Accuracy	Depends on the person	Records and filings can drift apart	Records and filings update together
Companies House filing	Separate, manual step	Varies	Built into the task
Access for the team	Shared files, version risk	Limited by seat count	Open to the people who need it
Keeping up with regulation	Your job	Varies	Built into the product
Scalability	Breaks down with volume	Cost rises with headcount	Designed for growing portfolios

Every firm’s situation is different, and not every legacy platform fits the picture above. But it’s a useful lens for judging where you are now.

How Kudocs Approaches Company Secretarial Software

Kudocs was built by lawyers to make company secretarial work faster and more accurate for law firms, accountants, corporate service providers and companies. Here’s how it answers the questions above:

Companies House Authorised Filing Software Provider, with filings submitted directly from the platform.
Real-time updates. Companies House is updated as part of the action you’re performing, rather than as a separate step afterwards.
Save up to 90% of the time spent on Companies House filings.
No charge per user and no user limit. Give access to everyone who needs it without paying for every seat.
Simple migration. Your account is set up using current information from Companies House. Historic records can be added with our bulk upload tool, and the Kudocs team can help you get your data in.
ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certified, and Cyber Essentials accredited. Read more about our certifications.
Continuous improvement. The platform is regularly upgraded based on client feedback, without charging more for new features.

Howes Percival LLP’s Head of Company Secretarial and Governance put it simply: “The intuitive system has saved us significant time from day one.”

See our pricing packages, read our customer success stories, or book a 15-minute demo to see Kudocs working with your own client list.

FAQs About Company Secretarial Software

What is company secretarial software?

Company secretarial software is a platform for managing a company’s statutory obligations, including statutory registers, Companies House filings, share capital changes and board decisions, in one place.

Is company secretarial software the same as entity management software?

They overlap heavily. “Entity management software” is often used for larger, multi-jurisdiction groups, while “company secretarial software” usually refers to managing UK statutory compliance. Many platforms cover both.

Do small companies need company secretarial software?

Not always, but it helps as soon as there’s a share issue, a new investor, a group structure or more than one person involved. For advisers managing multiple client companies, it quickly becomes essential.

Can company secretarial software file directly with Companies House?

Yes, if it’s a Companies House authorised filing software provider. Check this before you buy.

How much does company secretarial software cost?

It varies widely. Some providers charge per user, others per entity or by package. Look at the total cost as your team and portfolio grow, including any add-ons, not just the starting price.

How long does it take to switch provider?

It depends on how many entities you manage and how much historic data needs importing. Tools that pull current data from Companies House and support bulk upload of historic records make the switch much quicker. Ask any provider what support they offer during migration.

The Takeaway

Company secretarial software has gone from a nice-to-have to a core part of how advisers run corporate work. The right platform keeps your records and the public register in step, scales with your team without punishing you for growth, and keeps up with regulatory change so you don’t have to.

Whether you’re moving off spreadsheets or reviewing a platform at renewal, the 10 questions above are a good place to start. And if you’d like to see how Kudocs answers them, book a 15-minute demo.

Company Secretarial Software: A Buyer’s Guide for Law Firms, Accountants and CSPs